Is it a thing for older people to be picked up from the airport?

[Anonymous]

My childhood friends and I sort of had a rule that we didn’t pick each other up. I didn’t expect it. However, it would be nice in a foreign country, especially if I don’t speak the language. Being tired and figuring out to get places is not always easy even in my first language. Haha.

I’d probably pick up my remaining IL since they are alone now. They rarely flew but I’m pretty sure we picked them up the few times they did.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DC is the only region I have ever lived in where people seem to really push back against picking guests up. So I think it's regional vs an age thing. Or maybe people in DC are just less kind than elsewhere.

It's a city thing. You don't expect relatives in NYC to pick you up at the airport.

Bullshit. My husband is from New York and his parents pick us up and take us to the airport all the way from Connecticut.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Sorry, I'm still stuck on the fact that your DH can't handle dinner/bed time on his own. Not even once??? THAT'S the issue here.

Right. She is lambasting her father for being helpless and yet her husband can't handle the kids for a bit while she picks dad up from the airport.

This. It's weird to not pick your elderly parent up from the airport. Why couldn't dh pick him up?

[Anonymous]

If you want to be chauffeured from the airport, you pick the flight that accommodates the person driving you. Period.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:DC is the only region I have ever lived in where people seem to really push back against picking guests up. So I think it's regional vs an age thing. Or maybe people in DC are just less kind than elsewhere.

Because the DC region airport traffic sux and that’s what a cab, Lyft and Uber get paid for. To deal with airport traffic.

[Anonymous]

I pick up my grown kids from the airport. Of course I would pick up my FIL. I was raised to have manners. It is sad to see that many weren't.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I pick up my grown kids from the airport. Of course I would pick up my FIL. I was raised to have manners. It is sad to see that many weren't.

Judgy Karen who does everything better than you and likes to guilt trip has entered the chat.

[Anonymous]

When I used to travel on business (from DC), my coworkers occasionally would pick me up from the airport in Tulsa and Dallas and Long Beach

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DC is the only region I have ever lived in where people seem to really push back against picking guests up. So I think it's regional vs an age thing. Or maybe people in DC are just less kind than elsewhere.

It's a city thing. You don't expect relatives in NYC to pick you up at the airport.

Bullshit. My husband is from New York and his parents pick us up and take us to the airport all the way from Connecticut.

My inlaws lived in a suburb of NYC and never picked up anyone. We are able bodied and perfectly capable of getting to their home. No need for them to get stuck in traffic.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DC is the only region I have ever lived in where people seem to really push back against picking guests up. So I think it's regional vs an age thing. Or maybe people in DC are just less kind than elsewhere.

It's a city thing. You don't expect relatives in NYC to pick you up at the airport.

Bullshit. My husband is from New York and his parents pick us up and take us to the airport all the way from Connecticut.

Connecticut is not NYC. Also, of course a retired person is more able to spend two hours in the car picking someone up from the airport than someone with a job and young kids.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It’s not an old person thing. It’s just nice to pick up your guests if you can.

This!

[Anonymous]

I couldn’t imagine telling my father he needs to Uber from the airport. The man raised you. I’m sure he had do to things that were occasionally a minor inconvenience for you and your comfort. How ungrateful.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:A lot of older people (boomers) are narcissists and expect to be catered to hand and foot. You pick a child or kid from college at the airport, not a grown adult who's navigated back and forth to the airport dozens of times in their life. Tell em to take an uber.

Seriously. My parents usually fly into Reagan. They’ll jump on metro and I’ll pick them up at the stop near us. They’re in their 70’s and have traveled all over the world. Do people on this thread have parents who have regressed to childhood?

No, those parents have better children.

No, those children have entitled parents, which is sadly common with Baby Boomer parents.

My parents like their independence, and my mom has said she considers metro to be an “adventure” (in a positive way, if you can believe that)

She is trying assuage your guilt (if you even have a shred) for not picking her up.

These responses are enlightening. I pick everyone up. Including my million miler aunt - me picking you up has nothing to do with your flying status. But I guess if you grew up with cold, “find your own way” parents, this is what you are used to. I mean…telling your college student to find their own way home from the airport is ice cold.

My parents are smart, and tend to fly in at off hours. They know it’s unrealistic and unfair to demand people who are still working to take hours out of their workday on a Tuesday afternoon to come pick them up, when they’re perfectly capable of taking metro or Uber.

College students are also adults. Sure, picking them up is nice if you can make it work. But it involves essentially zero effort for them to travel that last little bit home.

+1. My parents don't fly any more, but they also never expected to be picked up when they came to visit me in a major international city with metro and taxi options. They'd hop on the metro and I'd meet them at my local stop. When I came home from college on the train I would take the local train to them and they'd pick me up a mile from their house if they could. If they couldn't, I walked. Same deal when I lived or traveled abroad -- I always got myself from the airport to my destination via public transit. If you are able-bodied it's not a big deal.

I was truly surprised about 10 years ago when a friend flew in to visit, landing at a time when I was working, and was upset when I asked her to take the metro from the airport to within a block of my workplace and I would meet her there. I didn't even own a car at the time so I don't know how she thought I was going to get out to the airport to get her. I'd told her when she booked her flight to be sure to fly into Reagan for that exact reason, and she had. Oh well.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I couldn’t imagine telling my father he needs to Uber from the airport. The man raised you. I’m sure he had do to things that were occasionally a minor inconvenience for you and your comfort. How ungrateful.

x1000

[Anonymous]

Also a family thing- DH and his parents all plan to Uber as they wouldn’t dream on inconveniencing anyone. In my family, my uncle drives 40’ with wife to take her sister to the doctors. Different strokes.